Job seekers can now breathe a sigh of relief as they will no longer be required to have clearance certificates when seeking employment.
Through a statement shared by Nominated MP Gideon Keter, it was established that the Members of Parliament passed the bill that ruled out the mandatory requirement of clearance certificates during job applications.
Consequently, employers will now have to carry out background checks on the applicants seeking employment themselves, at their own costs.
“Earlier today, Members of Parliament unanimously supported the Employment Amendment Bill without any objection as the debate concluded. Previously as job seekers may recall, before introduction of this amendment, job seekers were tasked with the responsibility of running criminal background checks on themselves so as to secure a mere job interview,” the statement reads in part.
“ A cure has come through this amendment whereby an employer shall no longer perceive job seekers as a criminal before they apply for a job. The solution to all these bottlenecks is that an employer will no longer ask job seekers for such documents as KRA, DCI, HELB, C. & EACC clearance certificates until or unless an offer of employment is guaranteed.” It adds.
Applying for a job in Kenya previously has been very cumbersome with a candidate requiring at least Sh6,000 to obtain all the relevant documents needed to secure the job.
One was required to obtain a certificate of good conduct from the DCI, another from the Ethics and Corruption Commission (EACC), one from Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA), another from Higher Loans Board (HELB) and a Credit Reference Bureau (CRB) clearance. Each of these costs at least Sh1000.
The bill has thus made it easier for netizens to seek employment since an unemployed person is not supposed to use money so as to secure a job.
“Young people should not be punished for looking for a job, let them earn money first to afford paying for this documentation. Nobody should be denied a job because someone suspects them of being a criminal. As a government, let us not make job-seeking an unbearable task by adding an extra financial burden on individuals who are already penniless,” the statement reads.
